Repair of sizable holes in hollow core walls such as gypsum board, furred plaster, or similar constructions has long been a time consuming and unsatisfying job. Holes may be caused by redecoration or repair, vandalism or moving accidents, among other causes, and often are too large to bridge with patching compounds to return the wall to a sound condition. Various methods are commonly employed to provide a backing for the patching material such as screen wire, or crumpled newspaper which are both time consuming, wasteful of material and generally produce a less than desirable end result, being more susceptible than other portions of the wall to future cracking.